Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 1, 1 January 2022 — Kalaupapa: Ā Thriving, Resilient Community [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kalaupapa: Ā Thriving, Resilient Community

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Kanaana Church and Y.M.C.A hall cū. 1900s - Photo: Courtesy of Hawai'i Stnte i \rrhives

Kūlaupapa volleybūll game. - Photo: Courtesy of NPS/Kalaupapa NHP/ Kalaupapa Historical Society Collection

Kūlaupapa Scout Troop 46 L to R: Robert Leong, Elroy "Mokio" Molo, ; Henry Leong, ond Eddie Marks ot o Boy Scout "Makohiki" festivol, Koloupopo. - Photo: Courtesy of NPS/Kalaupapa NHP/Kalaupapa Historical Society Collection

By Aelam Keawe Manalo-Camp From 1866 to 1969, approximately 8,000 individuals were sent to Kalaupapa after contracting Hansen's disease. They were teachers, singers, farmers, lawyers, paniolos, composers, veterans, artists and ali'i - people with hopes and dreams, talents and skills. People with names. Together, they founded a resilient community. Kalaupapa was established in 1866, and 142 people arrived that first year. They built a church that they named Siloama after the famous pools in Jerusalem. In the early days, the patients exiled at Kalaupapa experienced tremendous hardship, one of the most profound being inadequate food and supplies and the laek of medical care - a trying situation that continued through the 1870s. Kalaupapa did, however, have outstanding leaders including people like William Humphreys Uwele'ale'a, Ambrose Kanewali'i Hutchison, James Paiaina, J. D. Kahauliko, J. H. Hao, D. W. Puhaula, Peter Ka'eo, and Jonathan Napela (who was not sick but chose to accompany his wife to Kalaupapa). Despite the early challenges, over the next two decades, through hard work and persistent advocacy, a vibrant community began to take shape. Father Damien arrived in 1873 becoming a beloved member of the community. A story is told about a group of boys waking the entire settlement early one morning. It was a holiday, and the boys were marching around playing tin flutes and drums with great enthusiasm. When they passed Father Damien's house, the amused priest went to his lanai and yelled, "Po'e keiki kolohe!" The boys stopped playing and Pākē, the choir's lead soloist, began singing, moving everyone to tears. By the late 1880s, Kalaupapa had 350 cottages, two Catholic churches, two Protestant churches, an LDS ehapel, several stores, 12 hospital buildings, a physician's house, and community gardens. People there lived aetive lives - they worked, played and fell in love in Kalaupapa. But painful forced family separations continued. Mother Marianne Cope and two Catholic sisters arrived in 1888 to run Bishop Home, whieh was financed by Charles Reed Bishop, the widower of Princess Berniee Pauahi Bishop. Bishop wanted to provide a safe space for the girls and women who were sent to Kalaupapa alone. For decades, Bishop Home was a plaee of music, laughter, sewing, plays, and tennis. It was also in 1888 that Lizzie Kapoli Kamakau was sent to Kalaupapa. She was an exemplary composer who collaborated with Queen Lili'uokalani and Princess Likelike on songs such as Liko Pua Lehua and A He Lau Makani. Indeed, music played a huge part in community-build-ing and Kalaupapa was home to many brilliant musicians, composers, and chanters throughout its l56-year history. Some of Kalaupapa's contemporary musicians and composers include Henry Naleielua, Ernest Kala, Bernard Punikai'a, Makia Malo, Sammy Kuahine and Helen Keao.

Over the years, ali'i such as King Kalākaua, Queen Kapi'olani, Queen Lili'uokalani and Princess Ka'iulani visited Kalaupapa, assuring the residents that they were not forgotten. Kalaupapa residents were also politically active. Lā Ho'iho'i Ea continued to be celebrated there (despite the holiday being banned by the Republic of Hawai'i). Ihomas Nakanaela authored Ka Ēuke Mo'olelo o Hon. Robert Wilikoki, one of the best sources for information about the 1895 nationalist uprising. Over 700 Kalaupapa residents signed the Ku ē Petitions protesting annexation. By the early 20th century, Kalaupapa flourished with debate clubs, choirs, glee clubs, horse racing, bands, an athletic association, and three baseball teams. In 1905, it was organized as Kalawao County. It was, and still is, the only county in the world that is predominately Native Hawaiian. A sympathetic and generous community, Kalaupapa residents donated to various humanitarian causes, including to victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and war orphans. In 1946, a cure for Hansen's disease, promin, heeame available in Hawai'i. In 1949, a residential treatment eenter, Hale Mōhalu, was opened in Pearl City and with that, the policy of mandatory isolation at Kalaupapa ended. Over the next 20 years, only 40 new people were admitted to Kalaupapa, all of whom requested to transfer there from Hale Mōhalu. In 1969, the law changed, abolishing the forced isolation of people diagnosed with Hansen's disease. 1hanks to medical advances, people could now be safely treated at home. Nevertheless, publie ignorance persisted, and many residents opted to continue living lives of dignity and acceptance at Kalaupapa. In 1988, Olivia Robello Breitha heeame the only resident to write an autobiography: Olivia - My Life ofExile in ILalaupapa. The future of Kalaupapa is uncertain, but the residents should have a say in decision-making. Valerie Monson, former executive director of Ka 'Ohana o Kalaupapa said, "The people of Kalaupapa - throughout its history - have been some of our finest citizens who could have wallowed in what happened to them, but instead arose and triumphed over so many obstacles." ■ Author's note: thanks to Valerie Monson, I discovered that my grandmother's youngest sister, Mary Kekai Tripp, was exiled to Kalaupapa. My family did not speak about her, perhaps out ofgrieforpain. Butlam grateful to know that she was loved, got married, and lived in a caring eommunity. When we look at Kalaupapa, we should see it as a sacred plaee where ho'omau was embodied. Adam Keawe Manalo-Catnp grew up in Papakōlea and is a Hawaiian and Filipino writer, blogger and independent researcher.